LOST PROPERTY & its sequel SON OF LOST PROPERTY
         A PAIR OF AGT ADVENTURES BY EDWARD McARDLE
          (On SynTax 699/700 (ST) and 675/- (PC))

            REVIEWED ON THE ST BY LINDA TURNHAM

Both of these games are set in a school environment and the object
of each is to search for lost property ( helpfully identified by
asterisks ) which when returned to a designated place in each game
scores you points. In fact in Lost Property simply picking up the
object increases your score but I think this is probably a mistake
due to inexperience as this is Edward's first ever game.

I don't know who could possibly attend schools like these as the
lost items are all pretty expensive, who for instance could manage
to leave a diamond bracelet in a rubbish bin? Although on
reflection the Duchess of York does rather spring to mind but I
can't see subjects like Automotive Practise and Home Economics
interesting such a person, however I suppose the more commonly
lost items such as rulers and rubbers would be too boring and
certainly not worth searching for.  Most of the staff seem to have
gone to the pub or as this is an American game the Coffee Shop or
in some cases can only be heard, just as well as the only member
worth meeting would seem to be Mad Murgatroyd the science teacher
who has a collection of exotic pets and who likes to experiment in
force field technology with predictable results. You do have a
friend in Lost Property but all he/she does is follow you around
and is as much use as the help file in both games ie no help at
all.

Both adventures allow you to choose your sex and are played in the
usual way using simple commands with commonly used verbs and clues
are provided usually in the form of written material. The games
can be saved and restored and inventory and score allow you to
keep track of how you are doing.

Lost Property gives you the opportunity to watch boring videos and
thus enter dream worlds, climb a "Faraway Tree" and even visit
heaven and hell from the sickbay. There are many ways to get
yourself killed but most of these are pretty obvious and as you
can get yourself reincarnated are only a minor inconvenience. Son
of Lost Property gives you a list of the relevant verbs used and
also tells you how many treasures can be collected which is
helpful, more clues are provided and there are only a couple of
ways to get killed, time travel is possible here thanks to yet
another enterprising teacher and you get to visit the past, as you
would expect there are also many more places to explore.

These are two fairly simple games which consist mainly of
wandering around which is fine if you are fond of mapping, they
contain several inventive ideas but I found the limited vocabulary
more frustrating than usual for some reason.  Why if a cup has
liquid in it can you not pour it out and how can objects stay put
after they have been thrown? I couldn't obtain the last object
available in each game and did not visit all the locations
especially those in which directions were intentionally muddled,
the sort of puzzle which I hate, I don't like mazes much either
but at least you can work them out by trial and error.

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